UPDATE: All subscribers to national satellite TV services in Russia have in the past week had to contend with signal inference and the temporary unavailability of content. Some reports say the problem has existing for much longer.
According to ComNews, this began on Russia Day (June 12) and has affected Tricolor TV, Orion Express, NTV-Plus and MTS TV. It adds that two of the services – Orion Express and Tricolor – have posted notices on social media or their websites about this issue.
Quoting several sources in the Russian satellite communications market, ComNews goes on to say that the source of interference is coming from Ukraine and that it is something that the Russian Foreign Ministry first announced on April 5.
It is claimed that the attacks have targeted not only Russian but also foreign satellites.
Meanwhile, Vedomosti says that the VGTRK channels Rossiya 1, Rossiya 24 and Kultura – distributed via satellite by MTS have not been available to viewers since March 17. Furthermore, NTV has not been available on MTS for over a month and Channel One has been “freezing”.
Broadband TV News notes that the report in Vedomosti was subsequently denied by MTS.